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Ask HN: Favorite Educational Channels (For Kids)?

12 points by ian0 ↗ HN
Ive noticed that the quality of individual creators on youtube is typically better (more entertaining & higher quality) than a lot of the videos teachers share as supplementary material in my kids school.

For example, veritassium does some very easy to understand science and maths videos, periodic videos is a entertaining way to run through the periodic table and then a bunch of others for history depending on the period. Also mystery doug of course for younger kids.

Does anyone have any favorites they have stumbled across?

11 comments

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hbcondo714
https://www.youtube.com/@Numberblocks/about
gus_massa
I second Numberblocks. My 5yo loves it.

I want to add https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnRuuiSVqDF2EmoYS7yE6ZA The technical explanations are correct. (Other videos that try to mix some science have too many technical errors.)

Bonus: Apps for android

BabyBus Science: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ailiyong.w... (good technical explanations)

BabyBus Math https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sinyee.bab... (I didn't try it, but I guess it's good.)

ian0
Very cool! Ive never came across this one before. Thank you
sharmi
My kids love Mark Rober https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md75n8cyenA

PBS Eons https://www.youtube.com/@eons

Action Lab - https://www.youtube.com/@TheActionLab

MinuteEarth - https://www.youtube.com/@MinuteEarth

MinutePhysics - https://www.youtube.com/@MinutePhysics

SciShow - https://www.youtube.com/@SciShow

Real Science - https://www.youtube.com/@realscience

Brain Scoop - No long active, but there are some real gems here : https://www.youtube.com/@thebrainscoop

Recently started watching:

Eddie Woo - https://www.youtube.com/@misterwootube

At an younger age:

Sid the Science kid: https://youtube.com/watch?v=FWtHft4ijzk&feature=share

Super Why: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xu9MkyxZIZM&feature=share

Dinosaur Train: https://youtu.be/peBl3lrKglU

Magic School Bus: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLhOnau-tupQCt22fUPj3...

ian0
Thanks, the PBS one in particular is very good.
dezb
Get your kids a free Library Card.. and keep them of devices and away from screens, allow them to grow up with intelligent self learning enquiring minds, not zombie brains from sitting mindlessly in front of a device staring at a screen that rots their brains..
jl2718
This comment is overly-dramatized, but has a point which is perhaps more subtle. There is a difference between training their attention mechanisms and exploiting their attention mechanisms. The vast majority of this ‘educational content’ is on the exploitation side.
ian0
Im not sure if you have checked the links shared by others but you could hardly class free educational videos as "exploitative".
jl2718
Apologies for being unclear about this. I’m not suggesting exploitation like extracting value. I’m saying that they make their videos primarily interesting to children’s existing attention span, whereas book time may teach children to increase their attention span and become interested in something, like printed letters on a page, that otherwise appears quite boring.
ian0
Ah i get it - yes thats true indeed. They do a lot of reading, but sometimes its hard to find a book that suits the age range, subject and isnt too "textbook" like but still covers the main points on the curriculum.

But your right and in fact found a great one for science for my son just now!

open-source-ux
"Horrible Histories is a hit CBBC show that explores the side of history that they don’t teach you about in school! From the Vicious Vikings and Awful Egyptians to the Slimy Stuarts and Terrible Tudors, Horrible Histories covers the funniest, yuckiest and most gruesome bits of history for kids."

https://www.youtube.com/@HorribleHistoriesOfficial/videos